Wednesday, February 28 is the first of four days which see Devon under a severe weather warning from the Met Office, with a yellow warning today being trumped by an amber warning on Thursday.

We'll bring you the latest forecasts as they are made as well as any road closures and other problems caused by the weather in the county.

We'll update you on school closures, official alerts and warnings and anything else that will help keep you safe as The Beast from the East meets Storm Emma meaning heavy snow is likely to fall on the county.

We'll let you know when the Haldon Hill Plan is executed and we'll let you know of any advice and diversions.

Darryl Goddard, Wales & West Utilities Area Engineering Manager for South West England

“We are still working in the Topsham Road area to repair a gas leak caused by a water company damaging our network.

“Topsham Road, which was previously closed by the water company, will need to remain closed in order to keep road users, pedestrians and our colleagues safe while we work. All diversion routes are clearly signposted.

“Our engineers are working round the clock, as safely and as quickly as they can to repair the leak. We will keep local people updated.

“This is a complex job in difficult weather conditions, however, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we expect to complete our repair work in the early hours of Thursday (29 February) morning. When our work is finished, we will be handing the site back to the water company to finish their work and reopen the road.

“No gas supplies to homes or businesses have been affected by this damage.

“We appreciate that keeping Topsham Road closed is not ideal, but it is important that we fix this leak now, in order to continue to provide a safe and reliable supply of gas to homes and businesses in the area.”

21:40

Latest Met Office data shows Yellow Warning in place for Devon on Saturday, after two days under 'Amber' alert

20:35

20:13

University of Exeter campuses will be shut tomorrow

19:59

Heavy traffic alerts issued

B3260 FORE STREET - OKEHAMPTON

Heavy traffic on B3260 Fore Street between North Street and High Street.

A3052 HEADING TOWARDS EXETER - CLYST ST MARY

Slow traffic on A3052 heading towards Exeter near Clyst St Mary.

A385 - TOTNES

Temporary traffic lights and water main work on A385 at A384 / Cott Road (Shinners Bridge).

19:55

Power returns after outage in Exeter

19:54

ECC urge you to contact them if you see anyone sleeping out tonight

19:45

19:35

Our list of school closures so far can be found here

Ilfracombe just before 7am on Wednesday, February 28

Check to see whether your child’s school will be closed tomorrow here:

19:32

Fire service inundated - updates to follow

19:22

19:14

18:57

Devon could see 50cm of snow on Thursday, says Met Office

The latest estimate was revealed in video tweet sent out this afternoon by the Met Office

Parts of Devon could be buried under 50cm of snow on Thursday according to the latest forecast from the Met Office.

Dartmoor will see the deepest snow while urban areas like Plymouth and Exeter will still see around 20cm.

18:12

17:24

Torquay seafront closed as waves crash over the sea wall

Torquay seafront has been closed as water is coming over the sea wall and into the road.

Torbay Council has implemented the closure in response to an earlier flood warning that has issued by the Environment Agency.

Waves at Torquay seafront (Image: Tina Crowson)

17:20KEY EVENT

Further snow alert issued to drivers

Drivers are being urged to remain vigilant and be prepared before setting out on journeys after Highways England issued a further severe weather alert covering large parts of the country and lasting until Friday morning (2 March).

Highways England issued its latest amber ‘be prepared’ alert - covering the East, South East, South West and Midlands – at 3pm today (Wednesday 28 February). Strong easterly winds are expected to take a band of snow into parts of the South East and South West from 6am tomorrow morning (Thursday 1 March) with the snow then moving north into the Midlands and parts of the East. The band of snow will result in snow drifts in places but will also leave rain and icy conditions in its wake ahead of Friday morning’s rush hour.

While accumulations of between 2cm and 5cm of snow are expected, higher routes could experience between 10cm and 13 cm. The strong winds could also cause drifting from snow already laying in fields as well as from snow showers.

The current amber alert for the North East is expected to be lifted by noon tomorrow but light snow showers are set to persist into Friday. The A66 between the M6 in Cumbria and A1 in County Durham is likely to remain closed until tomorrow afternoon.

Highways England’s salt spreading and ploughing teams will continue to work around the clock to treat roads and keep traffic moving.

Highways England’s Head of Road Safety, Richard Leonard, said:

“Our gritting teams have been out treating the roads throughout the day and will continue to spreading salt 24 hours a day to keep the roads moving.

“Drivers should plan their journeys, monitor weather reports and pack a snow kit of blankets, food, water and a shovel if they really need to travel. You should avoid driving during heavy snow if at all possible.

“Our advice is to keep your distance and reduce your speed because, even in conditions that seem normal and when the snow is not settling, it can be slippery if ice patches have formed, or where fresh salt has not been worked into the carriageway.”

Nicola Maxey from the Met Office said:

“It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the latest Met Office forecast and warnings for your area to ensure you’re up to date with the latest situation.

“You can do this by checking the Met Office website for the daily forecast or our warnings page, or you could download our weather app which will ensure you can keep up to date while you are out and about. With the latest weather information for your area, you will be able to prepare for what is in store and plan your activities accordingly.”

17:14

County Council working round the clock to keep Devon moving

Snow ploughs and snow blowers have been busy clearing snow in parts of North Devon today (Wednesday 28 February) as Devon County Council works round the clock to keep the county moving.

Exmoor and Ilfracombe were hardest hit overnight - the A361, A399, A39, A3123, B3343 were all affected by snow but are all passable with care. Additional gritting and snow clearance was carried out on these routes by the County Council.

The B3223 Brendon Common was closed this morning due to heavy snow of up to 20cm in depth, which the Council cleared by early afternoon and is now passable with care.

Tonight is expected to be the coldest night of the year so far with road surface temperatures expected to plummet as low as -8.5C.

Snow showers are forecast to be more widespread across Devon tomorrow, and they could be heavy in places. The Met Office has issued an Amber warning of the risk of up to 20cm countywide, with the possibility of 50cm on high ground of Dartmoor and Exmoor. Snowfall is expected to start in the south from around dawn and spread north throughout the course of the day. Conditions could become more disruptive to travel as the day progresses.

Secondary gritting routes are again being treated by the County Council today, and repeated treatments will be carried out on the main gritting network this evening and into the early hours of tomorrow.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “There was some travel disruption across the north of the county this morning but our teams responded well to clear the snow that was causing any issues. Every available resource is being used to grit our main routes again this afternoon and overnight to give our roads the best possible chance of dealing with the risk of snow which is forecast from the early hours of tomorrow. Snow is expected to start in the south and move northwards, so the whole county could be impacted at different times of the day and conditions are expected to become more challenging as the day progresses.

“If your journey is essential we would urge you to take extra care, check local travel bulletins and weather forecasts before setting out, and make sure you have essential kit in your vehicle such as warm clothing, a blanket, shovel, food and drink. With a deteriorating situation during the day, consider when you will need to leave to get home safely.”

Devon’s snow wardens volunteers have also been alerted to monitor conditions and react according to their own plans.

Although snow ploughs, tractors and other additional resources were deployed to the Haldon/Telegraph Hill forward control point by Devon County Council, Highways England and Devon and Cornwall Police ahead of this morning’s peak period, they weren’t needed. However, teams are due to be in place again tomorrow morning. Devon County Council is reminding people of the following advice: • Avoid overnight travel unless absolutely essential as roads will always be more hazardous at night with less traffic and colder temperatures; • Never assume a road has been salted. Remember that showers or rain will wash salt off roads leaving them prone to ice, and in extreme cold even salting will not stop ice from forming; • Allow additional time for your journey and reduce your speed; • Drive with care and according to the conditions; • If you have vulnerable or elderly neighbours, think about how they could possibly be helped through the cold spell; • Try to maintain indoor temperatures to at least 18C, particularly if you are not mobile, have long-term illness or are 65 or over. NHS Choices has more information on staying healthy during cold weather; • Listen to local radio for updates on current weather conditions and ensure you are stocked with food and medications • Check out any school closures and sign up for alerts for any school by clicking on ‘Alert Me’.

Teignbridge bin crews will be out on their rounds tomorrow

Orcombe Point, Exmouth

Storm Emma winds begin whipping up high sea off Brixham

As Storm Emma is forecast to officially hit Britain tomorrow this picture from Nick Fletcher in Brixham shows what’s to come.

Its effects are expected to be felt throughout the weekend and it is possible the Met Office will upgrade the warnings to amber or even red.

The wild weather system coming in from the Atlantic is set to reach full force in the UK by Thursday, leaving swathes of the country hit by blizzards, strong winds and snow drifts.

It is expected the mercury could plummet to -15C by midweek where there is snow on the ground, rivalling temperatures forecast for parts of northern Norway and Iceland.

Weather warnings are already in place for blizzard conditions from 12noon on Thursday, lasting until at least midnight on Saturday.

16:08

More cancellations

The first ever Heart of the South West Joint Committee meeting was due to be held on Friday, March 2, at Plymouth City Council.

But due to the severe weather forecast for the next few days a decision has been taken to cancel the meeting

A statement said: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused but given the likely difficult travel conditions we hope you understand.

“We will be looking to rearrange as soon as possible and a new date will be circulated when we have it.”

16:03KEY EVENT

BREAKING - Flybe flight update

A Flybe plane

Due to the adverse weather that is being experienced and forecasted over the next few days with the potential to impact travel across large parts of the UK, airports may either close temporarily or restrict the number of arriving and departing flights. Flybe, like every airline, has minimum acceptable weather conditions in which we can safely operate.

Please be assured that we will be doing our best to ensure that flights operate as normal, taking into consideration any adverse weather conditions. The safety of our passengers and crew remains our number one priority at all times.

Customers travelling to/from Glasgow today (28th February) should check www.flybe.com to see if their flight is operating as a large number of flights have been cancelled. If your flight has been cancelled please do not travel to the airport.

Those with a returning flight and already in Glasgow and requiring a hotel overnight should make their own arrangements and can apply for a refund of any reasonable expenses incurred in respect of accommodation, meals and refreshments (excluding alcohol). Remember to keep full receipts for everything. You can check our policy at www.flybe.com

All other customers booked to fly with us between 28th February and 01st March 2018 to and from other airports should continue to check in as normal however are asked to please regularly check our flight info page for any further updates. If you have connecting flights, you should also check the flight status for each of your individual flights.

We are offering customers the following options to give you flexibility:

· You can rebook on a different flight for travel within the next 7 days at no charge to the same or a similar destination, providing that we have seats still available. Please note that if you choose to change your flight to another destination, we cannot provide you with further ground transportation onwards from the new destination airport.

· You can rebook your flight for the same route for any future date, providing that seats are still available at the same price as you originally paid. If you would like to choose an alternate flight, please note that we are happy to waive any change fee for your booking, but you will have to pay any change in fare (if higher than your original fare).

· If your flight has been cancelled, you have the following options:

· We apologise for the inconvenience, and are happy to rebook your travel on an alternative flight to your destination at the earliest available opportunity.

· Or, if you prefer, you may obtain a refund for any part(s) of your journey not taken. How to change your booking or get a refund:

How to change your booking or get a refund:

For bookings originally made via flybe.com, there is an online tool which will allow you to amend your booking within the next 7 days, or to claim a refund if your flight has been cancelled. To make a change, please visit www.flybe.com/flight-info, key in your planned flight details, and the status of your flight will be displayed. You then have the option to rebook or claim a refund.

For other bookings not made via flybe.com, please contact either your travel agent or our Customer Service team who will be happy to help you. Please ensure that you get in touch before your flight’s scheduled departure time. You can reach our Customer Service team by phone at 0371 700 2000 (if calling from within the UK), or +44(0)207 308 0812 (if calling from outside of the UK).

Once again, we would apologise for any inconvenience that might result from the adverse weather Please rest assured that we will always do whatever we can to get you to your destination as soon and as safely as possible.

15:55

No waste or recycling collections in the South Hams

South Ham District Council has confirmed that there will be no waste or recycling collections tomorrow. At this time, they are encouraging all residents to keep an eye on their website and follow them on social media, where they will get the latest information about the service and when it can resume.

Refuse and recycling collections have also been suspended today.

Due to the adverse weather the Council has also closed its offices at Follaton House. Staff are still working remotely to provide as normal a service as possible.

Adverse weather conditions are also likely to affect the operation of the Dartmouth Lower Ferry Service during the next 48 hours. The Dart Harbour Master is currently monitoring the weather conditions and if the predicted high winds arrive the service will not be operating.

Please also be aware that there is a risk of flooding in coastal areas from Start Point to Teignmouth, with high tides predicted to arrive along with Storm Emma. Strete Gate and The Slapton Line are currently open.

15:37

It's actually happening!

15:34

The top of Plympton Hill is now closed

15:28

Weather shuts recycling centre

14:59

Will Guthrie has just shared his view at Hillhead, Brixham - he warns the road is 'impossible to drive on'